Tag Archive | "healthy eating hair growth"

By now, it will be very obvious to us that human hair grows quite abundantly at almost all parts of our body. There are some parts of our body however, that represents an absence of hair growth, particularly the palms of our hands, the soles of our feet, the eye lids and the lips. Like that of our skin, hair is keratinized, made mostly of flat cells with overlayed keratin (keratin is a protein), which posses qualities similar to that of rope fabrics which give ample strength for the hair shaft. The human cycle of hair growth has three (3) phases that involve the growth of hair until it eventually falls of from our heads. These are the anagen phase, the catagen phase and the telogen phase. These three phases relatively determine the capacity and the length of your hair growth.

These phases all happen simultaneously at the same time. This is also the case regarding the other types of hair growing on our body, besides the hair on our scalp of course. There is also the vellus hair and the androgenic hair which serves both different purposes and functions in regards to giving our bodies the needed warmth and the ample protection from the elements. The three detailed stages of the development of human hair growth on our body which are the anagen, catagen and telogen phase all occur at the same time on each strand of hair in our human body. When one full cycle of each stage is complete, The cycle starts up again as soon as a new strand of hair begins to form and emerge from the follicles itself.

The average human hair grows to an estimated length of about 1.25 centimeters or about 0.5 inches in about a months time or if you would like to convert that to a yearly rate of 1.5 centimeters or about exactly 6 inches a year.

The Anagen Phase

This phase represents the first time that the follicle will be growing a new strand of hair, though not yet visible on the scalp surface, it is already on it’s first stage of growth prior to emerging from the scalp. The growth cycle starts in the papilla of the inner follicle which can take to as much in between 2 to 6 years before even starting to come out from the scalp. Genetics place a crucial decisive roll on the progress of hair growth. It would be very interesting to know that the longer that the hair develops in the anagen phase, the faster it will grow. The development of the hair inside the follicle resembles like that of a ball of twine or string that when it has grown just enough, it will be eventually be making it’s way out of the follicles through the scalp which will give you an itchy sensation that will make you scratch your head. This simple stimuli of scratching your hair, will eventually pull out the newly developed hair strand from your scalp, completing the anagen stage of hair growth. The total number of anagen hair growths on a person is 85% of all hair on a persons head.

The Catagen Phase

The catagen phase is also considered as the transitional phase of hair growth which the follicles are given the chance to rejuvenate or revitalize themselves. It is through the body’s natural enzymatic and hormonal functions that trigger this phase. It is during this stage of hair development that the follicles actually begin to shrink due to hormonal triggering mechanisms that make the papilla to detach itself, going into a sort of resting period, which results in the steady dwindling supply of the blood supply and the nutrients that nourishes the follicles. This resting stage of the papilla, reduces the size of the follicles by as much as 1/6th of it’s original size due to the lack of the much needed nutrients by the hair follicle. Though it is true that the papilla has regressed into a resting phase, the length of the fibers still remain the same.

The Telogen Phase

The telogen phase is the dormant phase of the human hair growth cycle and is also considered as the final stages of hair growth. What is actually fascinating about this stage is realizing that your hair once it has entered this phase of the cycle, has actually been dead for the past 1 to 4 months! This stage may result in almost 10 to 15 percent of the total hairs on your head are actually already in this stage for the past 4 months. Since this stage of hair development is on it’s final stages, the hormones in the body are once again triggered to restart the anagen phase in order to instruct the papilla to produce new hair strands. The newly produced hair strands that are developing inside the papilla will now start to push out and eject the old hair strands on your scalp, eventually dislodging it to give way to newly grown hair strands, therefore completing the three cycles oh human hair growth. This results in the shedding of hair in a daily basis.

To think that everyday of our lives as we groom ourselves when we brush or comb our hair, we shed off so much hair on our scalp thinking that there must be something wrong with our follicular hair growth. As it came out to be a natural occurrence within the cycle of our development of hair growth. It can be considered that our daily reason for shedding hair means that there are already new sets of hair that are now replacing the old hair strands that have already fallen off our scalp.

There are a lot of methods claiming to give positive results in obtaining a tried and tested method of growing your hair longer in the fastest means possible. These methods may mean the use of vitamins, hair growth shampoos, medicinal supplements and a few other means which can take up most of your time and not be able to choose one method that will work. We can trim it down to just 3 basic methods as not to further complicate the issue and save on more time.

Protecting Your Hair From Split Ends

The average rate that the human hair grows is about half an inch in one month, and from here, you can make an evaluated calculation on how long your hair has been growing on your head. During those years of

brushing and grooming you hair, you may have spent over 2,500 strokes and from the frequency that you have been doing that, there is no doubt that you had inflicted some damage on your hair strands. Hair is very susceptible to damages such as these caused by prolonged and frequent brushing. Also there is the damage caused by natural factors such as humidity,exposure to Ultra Violet light and tangles frequently caused by sleeping. Nutritional protein loss due to health factors also count as one of the contributing factors for thinning hair loss. Once hair has lost it’s suppleness due to protein loss, it starts to brittle and break off.

Applying mild amounts of mineral oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil can minimize the chances of hair dryness which causes split ends. Another suggestion is to inhibit from brushing your hair while it is wet and has not totally dried up from the time that you had showered. Wet hair is easily broken off while it is wet. Using heating tools to style your hair has the same effect of sun damage that can hasten up dryness and causing it to brittle and break. Hair dryers also do the same amount of damage, as it creates a convection of heat similar to that of a baking oven. Organic protection shampoos can help in many ways as it moisturizes hair and gives it an ample amount of protection for daily use. If it is necessary to tie up your hair, be sure to tie it up loosely and not too tightly as it can create tangles that can eventually break off an ample amount of your hair when you brush it.

Nutrition

Your hair needs a steady supply of vitamins and minerals in order for it to stay growing the proper way that it should always do. The right amount of food you eat can make a big difference of the way your hair grows on you. Eating and maintaining a healthy diet is not just good for your over all nutritional needs but it also gives your hair the added strength to withstand the rigors of your daily activities and to fend off the natural forces of nature as well. Green leafy vegetables, Vitamin B enriched and foliate can hasten the growth of your hair, giving it a silky and shinny feel and texture.

Avoid Unnecessary Stress

It is not enough to be healthy inside and out if you want to maintain a healthy hair growth, but you also want to consider the effects of stress on your hair. Stress has been proven to contribute to thinning hair loss, and in some cases can only be the case for some individuals. Falling hair is a natural daily occurrence for most people, because it is a natural cycle of hair growth. 40 to 50 strands of hair-fall for a single minute of brushing is quite normal, but to exceed to a number of 100 to 200 a day is an alarming rate! A stressful lifestyle can be a contributing factor if you did not know that it was affecting the way your hair continues to fall off. Try relaxing and not to dwell so much on the negative side of life. Enjoy your day even though stress is a part of your daily life, it is still good advice not to take too much notice of it.

Women consider thinning hair and hair loss a threat when it comes to dealing with such unavoidable circumstances. Thinning hair and hair loss maybe one of the most frustrating conditions that a woman has to face, unless you are going for the “Sinead O’Connor” or “G.I. Jane” look, hair loss and thinning hair conditions are definitely not a happy thought. Hair conditions such as these are a reflection of the present state of a woman’s general over all health. It is a proven indicator that something is not right and medical diagnosis must be sought out at the soonest possible time.

A good comparison would be that of a healthy tree that has suddenly started to wither and has begun to shed it’s leaves. Much as the same in regards to women’s hair loss that may indicate a possibility of any underlying medical conditions that maybe related to thinning hair and hair loss. Most general conditions related to accelerated hair loss come in light of a woman’s menopause and post-menopause stages. It is directly proportional to the steady decline in a woman’s body to produce the needed estrogens that produce an imbalance of hormones. This will lead to the rising levels of the male hormones testosterones,

The rise of testosterone levels give way to accelerated facial hair growth while triggering hair loss on the crown of the head. This is similarly compared to male pattern baldness but due to the fact that both men and women share a common hereditary genetic base, it is more common in men than in women. Other causes of thinning hair and hair loss would be that of dietary reasons. In a recent study by the World Health Organization (WHO), it was noted that women who live in third world countries have a higher incident of suffering from hair loss and thinning hair compared to women in more developed countries. The results of these studies pointed out nutrition as one of the key factors that contributed to women’s health in regards to hair loss.

Diseases also plays a big part in determining a concise evaluation as to the causes of hair loss in women. Medical conditions such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) in which results in a rise in androgens, which causes hair loss and hair thinning on the head, unexplained weight gain and cessation of the reproductive organs. The growth of polyps in the ovary may even indicate signs of ovarian cancer at it’s early stages. The over all evaluation of medical practitioners and women’s health specialists have concluded that nutrition is the basis of all causes of health problems, let alone women’s hair loss and hair thinning.

Doctors have advised a balanced way of nutrition that adapts to the present stressful way of how women go about their routines in a daily basis. Stress triggered hair loss can be minimized to the extent of good nutritional supplements such as fruits and ample amounts of exercise to relieve tension caused by work or personal problems. Of course, keeping up a positive disposition in life helps a great deal as well. Supplementary vitamins such as Vitamins A, B complex, D, E and iron can greatly counter act loss of energy that leads to stress related fatigue. Vitamin C (Citric Acid) is also an essential immune system booster that thwarts off vulnerability to diseases.

It is undoubtedly one of the most significant features in a woman’s body…her hair. Vanity aside, in a males point of view, a woman’s hair is indeed the essence of her femininity. Much is written about the beauty in a woman’s hair that it traverses the boundary of fiction and truth. No wonder that women spend almost half of the time making sure that their precious tresses live up to their famed expectations. It is so obvious that a woman values the way that her hair looks, just as important as how other people would react to it.

Unfortunately, there is the stark reality of hair thinning and hair loss that most women find unacceptable to contradict. Since hair loss is predominantly exclusive to males, it is also, in rare cases, a problem to some women as well. Hair thinning and hair loss in women is caused by hereditary genetics like that in males, but, unlike male pattern baldness, women’s thinning hair loss is more of a chromosome paternal origin rather than hereditary. This means that a woman who has evident manifestation of hair loss has more male chromosomes than female chromosomes.

Chromosomes are different from hereditary genetics, as a majority of people would put one and one as the same. Genetics is more of a carbon copy of gender and physiology while chromosomes are more reared as gender derivatives, meaning, a woman would have more male chromosomes than female chromosomes. A simple example to justify a point is some women have more male chromosomes than other women which would explain why some women have more facial hair than others.

Another simple explanation might deviate from the subject at hand, but would clearly explain a simple point nonetheless. At the time of our conception, human beings have both male and female chromosomes that are called chromosome “X”and “Y”. Since the female specie is the most predominant of all human species, for reasons of propagation. This unique biological state in which human existence permeates, is the reason why there are more females than males (10 females as to 1 male).

For women that have inherited a majority of male chromosomes, this is a reason in why they suffer such conditions. Secondary causes would that be of genetics, such as pregnancy, menopause and chemical imbalance. Stress however is not a predominant cause of women’s hair loss and thinning unlike that of men. However, dietary deficiency does hold a big part in the cause of hair thinning and hair loss for women. Clinical studies have determined that on the onset of menopause and andropause, for both men and women alike, each manifest a common condition that marks the end of the hormonal function of the pituitary glands.

The pituitary gland regulate the proper function of the hormones which control such bodily functions such as the reproductive organs, the libido and hair growth. It was clinically proven, that men who undergo the andropause cycle, lead to the decrease of testosterone levels, experience the cessation of bodily hair growth, not to mention, hair growth in the head. Which explains the case of hair loss directly proportional to aging. In the case of women that undergo menopause, the reduction of progesterones lead to the accelerated growth of facial hairs.

Genetics would be one uncontrollable cause of hair loss in women, given the fact that it is a natural state. However, there is also the reason of dietary deficiency to consider. About a hundred years ago, women’s hair loss was an unheard issue. It was only in the last 60 years or so that the issue was first looked upon. Environmental and dietary reasons are some of the few evident causes for this reason, not to mention a rapidly changing way of living. Nowadays, even food has undergone a radical way of production that you can not help but wonder if we are really getting the needed sustenance that our body direly needs.

Synthetic chemicals could also be one of the major reasons why most women suffer hair thinning and hair loss. Environmental pollutants can also be pointed out among the various reasons besides chemical inorganic substances that are used to manufacture our products. This explains the resurgence of natural organic health supplements that aide to counter act the deteriorating effect of inorganic chemicals that we use on a daily basis.

There are a small percentage of women that have a problem with hair loss and thinning as it is not a common problem compared to that of men. One of the most probable solutions is choosing a shampoo and other hair care products that can help this sort of problem. Matching the right kind of shampoo formulation or other products for your thinning and hair loss problems would take the help of a specialist to determine the root cause of your problem. Different kinds of hair loss and thinning problems require different solutions in regards to choosing the right product.

It is of the utmost importance to seek out the cause of the problem of hair loss that may require a number of treatments as well as a combination of products as well. Determining the proper treatment method for your specific hair loss and thinning problem can be best determined by taking into account three basic points on how to find the best solution to your hair loss problems.

Finding the exact root cause of thinning hair loss and the most appropriate plan of how to treat it.

Find the proper shampoo, vitamins or any hair loss thinning products that can best tackle and produce the adequate solution to your hair loss problems.

Seek out the best supplementary treatments that will prevent the further acceleration of your hair loss problems as to arrive at a definite fixed solution that will not deviate from the expected treatment benefit.

Find the cause of your thinning hair loss problems and how to adequately treat it

Male pattern baldness is a common problem with men and is the sole cause of hair loss and thinning. For women however, hair loss can be traced to some natural biological occurrences such as menopause, lactation, pregnancy, menstruation or dirt and chemical changes that go along with the natural cycle that affects the roots and follicles of the hair. Hence, hair loss shampoo for women are formulated differently from those used by men.

Other causes of hair loss and thinning could be traced to stress, poor diet and adverse side effects medicines for in the treatment of illnesses. It is the utmost importance to determine the cause of your hair loss whether that be from heredity, environmental or health. The main idea here is to focus on the root problem itself, in the case of male pattern baldness, sebum and other dirt and toxins embedded in the scalp are cleaned and removed. Nutrition also play an important factor in determining the adequate intake of the much needed vitamins and minerals to help the follicles grow and improving blood circulation to the scalp.

The best products that will treat the problem of hair loss

Selecting the right product is as important as finding the root cause of your hair loss problems. The chances in succeeding with your hair treatment is based upon the product that will address your problems. First thing to consider in a hair loss treatment product is the beneficial effect of making the roots and follicles thicker and healthier. A product that can guarantee this specific effect is a must in your checklist. Secondly, besides making your roots and follicles healthier and stronger, it also put body and thickness to your hair as most hair loss treatment products nowadays do both.

Most shampoo for women’s hair thinning and hair loss have topical vitamins and minerals that prevent the penetration of ultraviolet rays (UV) while it nourishes the roots and follicles of the hair. These topical vitamins and minerals provide added external nutrition that help the scalp to circulate the proper blood flow and promote healthy roots and follicle propagation.

Such treatments that use Vitamin B complex, specifically B12, B6 and B3 (biotin), Amino Acids and Niacin, which are more of a supplementary method to the deficiency of these important vitamins and minerals, not to mention the use o Minoxidil as well, have all been clinically proven with positive results.

There are leave on conditioners that do more than just protect your hair from damage. Most leave on conditioners today are enriched with a combination of vitamins, more particularly, Vitamin B5. Hair conditioners protect the hair strands and are absorbed by the follicles beneath your scalp through the hair shafts. The same principle of how topical vitamins and nutrient filled shampoos are absorbed by your scalp. Some leave on conditioners also incorporate scalp conditioners that help stimulate your scalp in producing healthier follicular growth, which can contribute to healthier hair strands.

What most people don’t realize is that all of the hair that grows above the surface of your scalp is actually dead. It is the same with our fingernails that is in a “keratinized” state, which means it has no more cellular growth. Our hair strands are just shaft tubes that absorb any form of nutrients that it can get when we take a shower. The follicles then use the nutrients that it has absorbed through the hair shaft to continue producing healthy hair growth. Topical hair shampoos and leave on conditioners that are enriched with the needed vitamins and minerals do contribute to the propagation of healthy hair growth just as well as a complete dietary balance can do the same benefit with your hair.

A bigger benefit that one can get when using leave on conditioners that protect the hair is that it can repair your damaged hair strands, particularly split ends and tangles. Leave on conditioners maintain the overall protection of your hair from damage, but it can also repair your hair from damage caused by dryness, over exposure to the elements and excessive brushing or combing. Excessive combing and brushing can lead to hair damage, considering that an average person combs their hair about 3 times a day with an average stroke of six to over ten times for men and over a hundred times for women.

If you can just imagine the stress that your hair is going through and the damage that it leaves, contributing to hair thinning. Leave on conditioners repair the damage by bonding split ends and smoothening the texture of the keratin of the hair shafts, resulting a stronger and more manageable hair that even leaves a silky smooth feel when you touch it. Besides having the qualities of being able to repair hair damage, it is an important aspect to consider it’s ability to provide nutrition as well. Theses leave on conditioners are mostly organically based on natural ingredients that have been extracted to from plant proteins. They even have a combination of natural colorants that could actually put some color on your hair through regular use, which is ideal for people who want to maintain their hair color.

The main important aspect for leave on conditioning products is that it should provide the needed protection and nutritional maintenance that your hair needs without the harsh and damaging effects of synthetic chemical additives that can eventually damage your hair with prolonged use.

Dealing with thinning hair

About the author

I am 53 years old and live in Miami. I have two kids, one boy and one girl with my wife Linda. My son Jon is now 19 years old and in College. My daughter Jennifer is 14 and still in High-School. We also have a dog. When I don’t work in the marketing department of a health company, I like to spend time outdoors with my family and friends. I don’t do as much sport as I should but my family and me go on a skiing vacation at least once a year.